Composite materials are of great current interest because they provide a very favorable combination of high strength and low density. Typically, a composite material is comprised of fibers of graphite, boron, glass, and the like embedded within an epoxy, phenolic or other polymer resin matrix. The more advanced composites which have particularly favorable high strength to density ratio properties are especially attractive for aerospace applications. But typical of other advanced aerospace materials they present comparative processing difficulties; they cannot be made by a simple layup of the fibers and resin followed by room temperature curing. Aerospace composite materials not only involve more difficult-to-fabricate resins but often essentially defect-free finished parts must be produced. As a result, aerospace composites are typically molded and cured at elevated temperatures under substantial pressure.
One method of molding (pressure pads) comprises using shaped pads of a high thermal expansion silicone rubber. An uncured prepreg is contained within a space between abutting adjacent pads and the assembly is captured in a closely fitting closed metal vessel. The vessel and contained assembly are then heated to an elevated temperature to both cure the article and expand the rubber to apply pressure to an article during its cure. The pressure pads are also referred to as trapped rubber tooling.
Current trapped rubber molding processes use vulcanized silicone compounds which are subject to damage. If the damage is severe, or a defect is on a molding surface, the tool must be repaired or scrapped. In most instances, after a reasonable use period, the tool is either disposed or ground to small particles and reused. Quantities of the reclaimed rubber can be added to virgin liquid tooling rubber as an extender.
Acordingly, there has been continual search in this field of art for methods of reclaiming used or contaminated polymeric molding materials.